Maren Larsen Willardson (born 1836)

In 1836, in the year that Maren Larsen Willardson was born, on June 15th, Arkansas was the 25th state admitted into the United States of America - and the 13th slave state in the Union. Originally part of the Louisiana Purchase, the area became the Territory of Arkansas in 1819 and the Territory immediately began the process of expelling native Americans to west of the Mississippi.

In 1866, on February 13th, the first robbery committed by Jesse James and his gang - a daylight bank robbery - occurred in Liberty, Missouri. Jesse's presence has been disputed but most historians agree that he was there.

In 1893, on November 7th, the women of Colorado were given the right to vote via a state referendum. Fifty-five percent of voters turned out and the referendum passed with 35,798 voting in favor and 29,551 voting against.

In 1908, Henry Ford developed the first Model T automobile, often called the Tin Lizzy or flivver. Produced from 1908 through 1927, it first sold for $850 - which made it affordable for every middle class family. Previously, cars were the province of the upper class and the introduction of the Model T and its availability changed U.S. culture. Within days of its release, over 15,000 cars had been ordered.

In 1960, on May 1st, an American CIA U-2 spy plane, piloted by Francis Gary Powers, was shot down by a surface-to-air missile over the Soviet Union. Powers ejected and survived but was captured. The U.S. claimed that the U-2 was a "weather plane" but Powers was convicted in the Soviet Union of espionage. He was released in 1962 after 1 year, 9 months and 10 days in prison.